The Rooster and the Hen
by HiMyNameIsTrish
Summary: LL. Lorelai has been single for a few months now. She decides to go out with Sookie, to get out of the house finally. But one decision she makes that night will reawaken feelings she forgot she had.
1. Chapter 1

...can't think of anything witty to put up here right now. Sorry. Ummm, I don't own these characters. Duh. Oh, and support Great 8 Mandate!

Chapter 1

"What are you gonna do, sit at home, all alone?" Sookie asked Lorelai as they walked down the sidewalk.

"I won't be alone. Paul Anka will be there." Lorelai sipped her coffee.

Sookie raised her eyebrow at her. "But you've never missed any of the town functions! And it's the Spring Fling! You've always loved the Spring Fling."

"Sookie, this is the first ever Spring Fling."

"I know. But it'll be so much fun. The dancing and the music and the flowers."

"I just don't feel very springy this year. Or flingy."

"Well I don't think anyone really ever feels flingy."

"I did once."

"Wow. How was that?"

"Eh, I've had better moods."

"It'll be so much fun. You can get some food, mingle with the town folk. We can dance. You like to dance."

"What about Jackson? Isn't it kind of a date thing?"

"You can be my date. Jackson can stay home with the kids."

"Alright, fine."

"Oh good. We'll have fun, so much fun." Sookie smiled.

"What's the big deal with me going anyway?"

"Well, since Christopher left..." Lorelai cringed. Sookie patted her shoulder. "Sorry, hun, but it's just, since all that happened you haven't been yourself. You just mope around the inn then you go home and mope around the house."

"Ouch."

"I'm sorry, but someone had to say it. I'm worried about you."

"I just haven't felt like doing much lately."

"Well breakups can be hard."

"It wasn't just any breakup, it was THE breakup. I am now a divorcee. I can refer to an ex as my first husband."

"Well look on the bright side. At least now you know."

"Know what? That I'm not meant for marriage?"

"No, that Christopher wasn't the one."

"I don't think I've got one."

"One what? A one? Every one has one...one."

"Well see."

The town square was decorated with spring flowers and pastel colored streamers. Lorelai watched as couples danced, drank and kissed on private benches. It seemed like everyone in town was paired up with someone else. Spring was in the air after all.

"Aren't you glad you came?" Sookie asked.

"Yeah. Thanks for bringing me Sookie." Lorelai tried to smile at her friend.

"You want some food?"

"Sure." Lorelai followed Sookie over to the buffet table.

"This one is always hungry. I don't think I've ever eat so much in my life." Sookie rubbed her stomach. She seemed to be getting bigger every day.

"Do you know what it is yet?" Lorelai poured herself a cup of Miss Patty's infamous punch.

"Nope. We're gonna wait this one out. I figure surprise baby, surprise gender."

"Sookie!"

Lorelai and Sookie turned around to see Jackson walking towards them. "Jackson, what are you doing here? Where are the kids?"

"I'm sorry. I just, I heard the music and I missed you."

"Did you leave the kids alone?"

"No, I called a sitter."

"This was supposed to be girls' night out."

"I'm sure Lorelai doesn't mind. You don't mind, do you Lorelai?" Jackson asked.

"Nah. Go dance, have fun."

"Are you sure?" Sookie asked.

"Yeah. You kids go get outa here." Lorelai smiled as she watched Jackson lead Sookie to the dance floor. She saw Miss Patty sitting on the steps of the gazebo and walked over to join her. "Hey Patty," Lorelai said, sitting down next to the town's dance teacher.

"Hi Lorelai. I haven't seen you around town for a while. I hope you haven't been sick."

"No, no, nothing like that. I've just been in a post-divorce funk, I guess."

"Oh don't worry. I went through the same with after my third husband. You know how I got over it?"

"How?"

"My fourth husband. Nothing like a man ten years younger than you ex to really make you forget about a failed marriage." Patty patted Lorelai knee. "Don't worry about it. You'll find someone else, someone better."

"I'll drink to that," Lorelai said. She knocked cups with Miss Patty and downed what was left of her punch.

"Oh, by the way, you haven't seen Luke around have you?"

"No." Lorelai wondered if he was seeing someone, if it was serious enough for him to bring her to something like this. She suddenly wished she had more punch in her cup. "Why?"

"He sister was over here a little while ago looking for him."

"Well if he pops up I'll let him know." Lorelai looked into her empty cup. What am I doing here, she thought, sitting on a step with Miss Patty feeling sorry for myself, drinking so much of this toxic sludge punch. "I think I'm gonna head home."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah. I'm tired and Paul Anka's been home alone for a while."

"Alright. Have a good night."

"You too, Patty." Lorelai stood up and started to walk away.

"Lorelai!" Patty called. Lorelai turned around. "I'm glad you came out tonight."

Lorelai smiled. "Thanks."

As Lorelai walked across the square she glanced across the street. The light was still on inside Luke's Diner. She could make out his form, hunched over a table, watching his tiny TV. She stepped off the curb into the street, her heel giving out beneath her. "Damn it, damn it, damn it." She took her shoe off and examined the damage. The heel was completely snapped off. She took of her other shoe and ran across the street barefoot. She tossed the shoes into the trash can and tapped on the diner window.

Luke jumped in his chair. He squinted, trying to see who was at the window. Lorelai waved at him. "What the...?" He walked over to the door and stepped outside. "What are you doing? Where are your shoes?"

"I was walking home and I saw the light on and, I don't know, just wanted to say hi I guess."

"Are you drunk?"

"I think so. Maybe. Patty had some punch out."

"You're lip's all pink." Lorelai's hand went to her mouth self consciously. "What about the shoes?"

"One of them broke so I threw them away."

"And you're planning on getting home how?"

"Walking."

"Barefoot?"

"Apparently."

"Let me drive you home."

"Oh, no. I'll be fine."

"Here." Luke stepped out of his slippers. "Wear these home then."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah."

"I'll bring them by tomorrow. So, what are you doing down here?"

"Oh, Liz and Doula are staying upstairs cause TJ's got the flu and apparently I snore and it keeps the baby up."

"Well you can get pretty loud."

"Apparently." Luke smiled at her. "So I guess I'll see you tomorrow then."

"Yeah. Goodnight." Lorelai hesitated. She took a step closer to him and pulled his shirt collar down so she didn't have to stand on her tippy-toes to kiss him. She had forgotten how it felt to kiss him, how natural it felt. Suddenly she realized that she was standing in front of a diner in the middle of the night kissing her ex-boyfriend, ex-fiancé. "Oh God. I'm sorry." She ran down the sidewalk, trying not to trip in the slippers that were much to big for her feet.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

"Wait. Let's back things up a bit. Just push that rewind button. You kissed Luke?" Rory was pacing around the kitchen as her mom and Sookie sipped coffee at the kitchen table.

"I was drunk!"

"So then what happened?"

"I ran home."

"Well what did he say about it?" Sookie asked.

"I haven't seen him."

"What about the slippers?"

"Well a funny thing happened with the slippers. I found out that drinking and then running don't really go together."

"Oh no." Rory said as she sat down.

"I puked all over them."

"Eww." Sookie wrinkled her nose.

"So not only did I kiss my ex-fiancé, I also ruined his slippers." Lorelai laid her forehead on the table.

"It's ok." Sookie rubbed Lorelai's back.

"I'm sure he'll understand. I mean, it's Luke," added Rory. "He knows you were drunk. It's not like you just randomly walked up to him and kissed him. You were surrounded by happy couples and you were feeling a little lonely."

"When I give him that excuse I'll be sure to make myself sound a little less pathetic."

Lorelai took a deep breath and opened the diner door. It was almost empty, one of the perks of showing up between the breakfast and lunch rushes. Luke looked up from some paperwork at the sound of the bell over the door. He was surprised to see Lorelai standing in front of him, a gift bag in her hand. "Lorelai. Hey." He couldn't help feeling a little anxious.

"I didn't mean to, uh, disturb that, whatever it is you're doing there." She pointed at the papers spread across the counter as she sat down on a stool.

"Oh, no, don't worry about it. Just some inventory stuff." He tried to push everything into a neat pile. "You want some coffee or something?"

"No, I can't stay. I just wanted to bring you this." Lorelai pushed the gift bag across the counter. Luke looked at her, confused. "Oh just open it."

He pushed through the tissue paper and pulled out a brand new pair of slippers. "Oh hey. These are nice."

"Yeah, your old pair had sort of a rough night so I just wanted to replace them."

"Well thanks. These are great." He ran his hands over the soft fabric. "So you puked on the old ones, didn't you?"

"Of course not! A lady would never do a thing like that." Luke stared at her skeptically. "Yeah, I puked on them."

"You ran out of here pretty fast. I figured they'd either rip or you'd throw up on them."

"I am swearing off of Miss Patty's punch forever." She laughed nervously. "So, um, about what happened that night."

"Yeah?"

"Let's just forget it ever happened."

"Oh. Sure." Luke hoped his face wasn't showing how disappointed he was.

"I mean, I was drunk, you were tired..."

"Sure, yeah, no problem."

"Good. Glad we're on the same page." Lorelai smiled. "So, uh, I'd better go. Gotta get back to the inn."

"Right. So I guess I'll see ya around." Luke watched as she walked out of the diner. He was amazed at how calm and unaware she could be after breaking his heart all over again.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Lorelai tossed and turned in her bed. She had been trying to fall asleep for well over an hour. She got up and opened the window. The cool April air swept through the room. She crawled back under the covers and tried to relax. Whenever she closed her eyes all she could see was Luke's face. It had haunted her for the past few weeks, since she had visited him at the diner. She couldn't help to see some kind of disappointment in his face when she told him that the kiss was a mistake. She tried to shake the image out of her head, knowing that it was just wishful thinking. Lorelai was just falling asleep when she heard something hit the window screen. Her eyes shot open, listening for the sound again. She rolled over, figuring it was just a moth when she heard something else at her window. She got out of bed and turned out her light. She looked out the window, down into the front yard. Luke was standing there, getting ready to toss up another rock. She shook her head and hurried down stairs.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Lorelai pulled her robe around her tightly as she walked out into the yard.

"I need to talk to you."

"It's like three in the morning, Luke."

"Really?"

"No, I'm lying. It's the new thing that I do."

"Fine. Forget it. Just forget it." Luke shrugged and started to walk back to his truck.

Lorelai grabbed his arm. "Well I'm awake now. What's on your mind?"

"How come you get to make all the decisions?"

"What?"

"You just make decisions for everyone else. You don't even consider that maybe the other person wants something else or doesn't agree with you. Whatever Lorelai wants, well that's what everyone else wants too, right?"

"Luke, what are you talking about? Maybe you should sit down or something."

"I don't want to sit down." He was in full on rant mode now. "You just walk into my diner and kiss me."

"I said I was sorry."

"And it just makes me feel all these...feelings and then you come back and tell me to just throw all that out the window."

Lorelai was a little surprised. "Luke, I'm sorry. I didn't know."

"I can't do this anymore Lorelai. I can't just turn this off and then have you come back and turn it back on." Lorelai bit her lip, trying not to laugh. "Yeah, dirty, I know."

"What am I supposed to do, Luke? Should I just stay away from you? That might be a little hard since there's, like, ten people in this town. Should I move? I'll pack up and go. You tell me what you want and I'll do it."

"Tell me you don't love me anymore."

"Luke... I can't do this right now."

"What happened to the whole 'It's now or never' thing?"

"That's not fair."

"Who said life was fair?" Luke turned and started to walk to his truck.

"Of course I still love you. I've always loved you." Lorelai wrapped her arms tightly around herself, trying to keep out the chilly wind.

Luke stopped. Half of him had wondered if she would admit it. The other half hadn't know if she even still felt it. He took a deep breath and walked back to her. "Are you sure?"

"What kind of question is that?"

Luke smiled at her and pulled her into his arms. He kissed her passionately, his arms embracing her tightly. Lorelai let her arms find their old familiar place around his neck. She felt the cold flakes falling on her nose and bare arms. She pushed back from him, her hands on his chest. "It's snowing." She smiled and looked up at the sky and back at Luke. "I can't believe I didn't see it coming."

"Sometimes it surprises you." Luke pulled her back into a warm embrace.


End file.
